Friday, April 26, 2013

It is often stated that Wagner and Napoleon are the most written about figures from the 19th century, and there is certainly much to search out (informative, satiric, vituperative, inspiring, amusing, off-kilter) about the "magician of Bayreuth" and his operas.

Here to start things off (in a slightly irreverent vein) is a piece by Paul Hindemith. The title pretty much says it all : "The Overture to THE FLYING DUTCHMAN as played by sight by a SPA orchestra at the village well at seven o'clock in the morning "

For a slightly less Germanic sense of humor you might also check out the delightful Faure/ Messager piece for two pianos: "Souvenirs de Bayreuth - Quadrille on themes from the Ring."

This photo of 19th Century Scottish workers was the evocative source for
the women's costumes in the so-called "Spinning Scene." We have
diverged somewhat from Wagner's specifics as our female Chorus are
engaged in what is more a fishing village task; gutting and grinding up
fish.

And speaking of fish-- we've made over 100 of these slippery little creatures.

They are black "satin-like" forms filled with sand and sprayed with silver.

Costume Sketch by John Conklin

But it is not grim work all the time. There is a party (of sorts) during which the ladies discard their dark, rubber aprons and don an almost flamboyant range of patterned blouses and skirts.

Costume works-- the excellent shop that builds BLO's costumes-- estimates that these costumes employ over 75 different patterned materials.

Q. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Have you performed Wagner before? If yes, have you sung Senta on stage? If yes,
where?

A. Well, I’m
British, born in Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford­shire, and have been standing on the
stage in one form or another since I was six. When I was taken to the theatre
as a young child, I knew that I wanted to be standing on the other side of the
curtain; the only question was, doing what? After a short period studying at
the Birmingham Conservatoire in the UK, I left to study in Weimar, a beautiful
town packed with history in the middle of Germany. There I started life as a
mezzo-soprano, but my vocal teacher, Professor Gudrun Fischer, said she
expected me to become a soprano later, and I guess she was correct. I never
thought I would sing Wagner, though, ever! But winning the first prize in an
international Wagner competition soon took care of that. I have now sung Elsa,
one of the Flower Girls in Parsifal, and Senta. My first Senta was in
the theatre in Wuppertal, Germany, and was a fantastic production; in fact, I
have been really very lucky with my Wagner productions so far.

Q. From what we understand, this Flying
Dutchman is Wagner’s early version of the opera, the Scottish version.
How does it differ from the later version that we all know? Is the music any
different? How about the story?

A. I can’t
speak for the other roles, but the main difference in my role is that Senta’s
aria is a tone higher, and there are some small text differences too,
especially the names of some of the other characters.

Q. What special preparations do you
have to make to sing this arduous role?

A. Generally,
I like to meditate in the afternoon and eat pasta beforehand; I think most
singers do something similar. Of course, I have to warm the voice up and do
body-stretching exercises. Singing is like a sport and needs a warmed-up body;
otherwise one can hurt oneself. Oh, and I forgot to mention the bananas. I eat
one just before going on stage and one at every interval if there is time.

Q. Which segment do you find the most
challenging?

A. That will
stay my well-protected secret. If I were to spill those beans, everybody would
listen extra hard at that moment. It’s similar to when a weather forecaster
says there will be rain, so everybody expects rain!

Q. How do you feel about the heroine? Is she a
sympathetic character who genuinely wants to help the Dutchman or a mentally ill
person, as she is portrayed in this production and others? How would you
describe her obsession with the Dutchman?

A. Wow, I had
no idea that this production will depict Senta as mentally ill. We’ll see. I
think Senta is a young girl full of dreams and desperately seeking a way
out of her situation. People in that position or mental state would go to great
lengths to believe in or even create a way out. If desperation is a mental
illness, then maybe she is ill. I will wait to see what the director would like,
and I will try to portray this to my audience.

Alfred Walker (Dutchman)

Q. You have sung several Wagnerian roles
already. Is singing the Dutchman different from, say, Amfortas or Kurwenal?
What do you need to do to prepare for it?

A. I think the
Dutchman is different from the other Wagner baritone roles that I’ve
done. Of course, all Wagner roles have difficult demands, but the Dutchman
is very intense. His first entrance on stage begins with the monologue
“Die Frist ist um,” which requires the singer to establish himself right away.
Kurwenal, Amfortas, and even Telramund allow the singer to ease into the part
before their big moments, but the Dutchman requires immediate vocal and
emotional intensity from the start. In my preparation for the Dutchman, I
concentrate on emotional intensity, vocal economy, and vocal colors, all
motivated by the breath. As a general rule, I often practice at least
three different ways to sing a phrase because it’s impossible to know what the
conductor or director may want, and it’s good to have different possibilities
at your fingertips.

Q. Since this is Wagner’s Scottish version
of Der fliegende Holländer, do you notice any differences from the
Norwegian version in your character?

A. Essentially,
I think the Dutchman is who he is. Of course, when I have conversations
with the director and see the set and costumes, I may be inspired to make some
changes in what I do. That is part of the fun of the rehearsal process.

Q. What is your emotional/psychological approach
to the Dutchman? Is he someone we need/want to pity or feel compassion for? Is
he a zombie-like ghoulish character, as he is sometimes portrayed? Or something
else?

A. As an
actor, it’s important to remember how tired the Dutchman must feel. He’s
hundreds of years old and would like to die but can’t. I think he feels awkward
around humans because he doesn’t share our physical needs and aspirations. He
should appear strange to the audience because he’s from another time, but not
zombie-like or creepy to look upon. An interesting costume and a gray
complexion are sufficient. The audience has to be able to relate to him and his
plight.

Q. Do you think you might sing Wotan someday?
What special challenges are there in this role besides the length?

A. I was
offered the full Ring Cycle in a new production just recently, but
because I was heavily scheduled, I decided not to accept. Wotan must evolve
over the course of the operas, so I think this presents a great challenge both
as a singer and as an actor. He must sound vocally mature but vibrant. I
like to compare the role to deciding when to open a prized bottle of Cabernet
Sauvignon. Timing is everything!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

• The US Supreme Court rules in the
“Amistad” case that the Africans who seized control of the ship had been taken
into slavery illegally
• Frederick Douglass spoke in front of the Anti-Slavery
Covention in Nantucket, MA

Who
was born…?

•
Emmanuel Chabrier

~ French Composer and Pianist

•
Antonin Dvorak

~ Czech Composer

•
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

~ Asso. Justice of US Supreme
Court

•
Albert Edward, Prince of Wales

~ Future King Edward VII

•
Otto Wagner

~ Austrian Architect

•
Adolfo Rivadeneyra

~ Spanish traveler, Diplomat, and Writer

How old was…?

•
Brahms = 8 years-old

•
Liszt = 30 years-old

•
Schumann = 31 years-old

•
Chopin = 31 years-old

•
Mendelsohn = 42 years-old

Who died…?

•
William Henry Harrison, the 9th US President

~ Died a month after his
inauguration (first US President to die in office)